


fascination

by jeserai



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:06:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27185620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeserai/pseuds/jeserai
Summary: Adora's always had a bit of a fascination with Catra, ever since they met so many years ago. Catra is mesmerizing, plain and simple, and Adora...she wants to know everything about her, wants to learn her inside out.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra/Double Trouble (She-Ra)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ratings gonna go up later on <3

Adora's always had a bit of a fascination with Catra, ever since they met so many years ago. Catra is mesmerizing, plain and simple, and Adora...she wants to know everything about her, wants to learn her inside out. She feels drawn to Catra like she’s never felt drawn to anyone else before in her life, as if some oddly magnetic, cosmic attraction was birthed the moment they met.

“I have a fascination on you,” she admits one day. They’re sitting on opposite sides of the couch, Adora curled up in one corner with Catra splayed out on the other end; the tv is on but neither of them are watching it. For a moment, Adora is sure Catra hasn’t heard, but then she pushes herself up on her elbows to look at Adora in confusion, her brows furrowed.

“What?”

“It’s...not a  _ crush.  _ I love you, just not romantically, I don’t think. It’s just...a fascination. I’m just fascinated by you, I don’t know how else to explain it.”

And Catra just shrugs, and nods, and smiles, and that’s that. She’s never minded any of Adora’s habits—even if she does always laugh and call her a dork. It’s been years of knowing each other now, so she doesn’t mind looking up to find Adora just watching her, barely even blinks at the way Adora reaches out to hold her hand and play with her fingers, or the way she gently pets and scratches at the buzzed part of her hair whenever they hang out with other people. It’s just...the way that Adora is, and the way that they are. And it works.

Until—

“Hey babe?” Catra asks one day. She’s got both of her feet in Adora’s lap, keeping still and quiet as Adora paints her nails the usual matte black.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve...do you know Double Trouble? DT?”

“The theatre kid? I know  _ of  _ them, we’ve never spoken or anything though.”

“Oh. Well, we’re talking, I guess.” When Adora glances up and over at her, she realizes that despite Catra’s brazen tone, she’s  _ nervous.  _ It is clear in the tense line of her shoulders, in the arch of her brow, in the fold of her arms.

So Adora just shrugs and pats Catra’s thigh. “That’s good, I’m happy for you. Let me know if I have to beat them up.”

“Oh.” And she is genuinely surprised, but Adora can  _ see _ how much more relaxed she is. “Okay. Thanks.”

And that’s it—at least for a few minutes.

“Adora?”

“Yeah?” When Adora looks up, she finds Catra staring at her, so intense that Adora feels a flush rise to her cheeks. “What is it, kitty cat?”

The pet name makes Catra shrink into herself with that private smile that Adora’s only ever seen her use when it’s just them, when Adora has said something soft and sweet, and finally, she says, “They’re not...it’s still just us _ ,  _ you know. It’s  _ us. _ ”

Adora nods and when Catra pouts, she laughs and gets up, pushing at Catra’s back until she sits up properly so she can slide into the tiniest space just behind her. It takes a bit of shifting around, and by all accounts, it  _ should  _ be uncomfortable, but in the end, as Adora sits with her back pressed against the arm of the couch and Catra resting snug against her chest, all she feels is peace.

“It’s always gonna be just us,” Adora finds herself murmuring. Catra sighs in relief as Adora brings her hand up to wind through her curls, and with another little noise of delight, Catra snuggles into her, curling up further and closing her eyes as she relaxes fully against Adora.

Now that she has the time to, Adora thinks back to the first time she saw DT and Catra together, the two of them talking one day after class. Catra had been blushing then, and now it finally makes sense why. Seeing them together had been jarring at first: DT with their willowy body and slicked back hair next to all of Catra’s wild curls and wilder smiles, but she can’t help admitting that they looked good together.

And seeing how happy Catra is now...she really is nothing but happy for them.

“I’m really glad you told me,” Adora finally says, “you know I’ll always support you, yeah?”

“Yeah, I know...I love you,” Catra fumbles to hold one of Adora’s hands tight, squeezing it tight. “You’re the best, y’know?”

Adora just drops a kiss against her friend’s forehead and closes her eyes as well. “Rest well, kitty cat.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DT knows that they’re grinning—they can’t help it, honestly—and they force themself to nod. It’s funny,” they say, “because Catra...she always reacts so violently to you. It’s positively adorable, pardon the pun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i thot it wouldnt be until chapter 4 but the rating has been changed oops

It’s been an unnecessarily long week, and after picking up a burger, DT heads over to Catra’s unannounced, the key she’d tossed at them now snug on their keychain. Thankfully, no one else is over, and DT has never been more grateful. They toss their coat and bag down on the couch, and stay in the kitchen while they eat. Catra’s probably going to be pissed that they didn’t get her anything—and more pissed that they just stole the last can of sprite from the fridge—but they’ll make it up to her in just a bit.

Once they’re finished eating, DT heads upstairs—but as soon as they reach her room, they stop and raise a brow, squinting at Catra because...something’s _different._ And that smile, that can only mean one thing: “So...what happened with Adora?”

Catra rolls over and presses her face into her pillow to hide her smile, and DT resists the urge to tease her mercilessly for it as they wait for Catra to speak. “She came over earlier, and she let me  _ kiss  _ her,” she says into the pillow.

And that’s… “Uh...so?”

“It was her  _ first  _ kiss,” Catra elaborates. The smile is slipping back onto her lips now, but now...it seems like she can’t quite bring herself to really care.

“You two haven’t hooked up before then?”

“What?  _ No. _ ”

“Huh. I was so sure of it...the way you talk about her...huh.” DT settles across her bed, hoping that their smile is disarming enough as they ask, “So, kitten...you love her, don’t you?”

“ _ What— _ ”

“You love her,” DT repeats, “but maybe you don’t want to risk the bond that you so obviously have, or maybe you think you don’t deserve her, so you’re using me to get what you can’t have with her.”

“I— _ no,  _ I do not love  _ Adora. _ ”

DT tilts their head and arches their brow, laughing when Catra sticks her tongue out at them. “It’s okay, kitten, we don’t have to talk  _ feelings.  _ How about we add a few more bruises for Adora to see, hm?”

And that’s…

“You should think of her,” DT murmurs. They crawl up to Catra and frame her face with their hands, staring down at her with that arch little grin on their lips. “Close your eyes, kitten. Imagine her hands against your cheeks...imagine her watching your reactions...imagine her kissing you. Her lips are soft, aren’t they?”

Catra’s breath hitches and after a long few minutes, she forces herself to nod. Her legs are pressed together already, and DT laughs because god, she’s so obvious. “Scoot up, kitten. Let me sit behind you.”

God knows why she does it, but for once, Catra actually obeys, waiting for DT to settle on the bed with their back against the headboard before sitting between their spread legs. She closes her eyes when DT tells her to, and she shivers when they let their hands rest against her shoulders. It’s easy, almost too easy, to fall into the right headspace for this—Catra just makes it too damn  _ easy,  _ and DT keeps their voice low and smooth as they finally start. “Don’t you wish it were Adora touching you like this? Warm and soft against you? She’d be shy, wouldn’t she...she’d touch you so gently, try to learn  _ all  _ of you. She’d worship you, kitten.” As they speak, DT’s hands flutter down, mimicking Adora’s soft touches—her arms, her wrists, her collarbones, just beneath her breasts. Catra arches into it, and DT bites back a laugh because of course, of  _ course. _

“You know...I think she’d want to ruin you if she saw you like this. So  _ needy, _ ” DT hisses; they pinch her nipples until Catra arches into the sting and then they laugh and kiss the curve of her neck as if in apology. “So gorgeous, so  _ beautiful  _ for her. All hers, kitten. You want that, don’t you baby?”

Catra bites her lip, perhaps to keep Adora’s name trapped in her mouth; her hips shift restlessly with how much she wants. “More,” she demands, and for once, DT obliges her without much teasing.

“I think...by the time she gets here—” their hands dip lower, her sides and waist and hips and thighs, “she’d take pity on you. She wouldn't tease, would she? Not on  _ purpose... _ she’d want to make you feel good. But she wouldn’t know  _ how,  _ would she?”

One hand digging into her thigh, the other dipping into her shorts and—”No underwear?  _ Needy,  _ kitten,”—two fingers sliding slow, teasing. Exploring.

“She’d be surprised at how wet you are. She’d call you beautiful, taste you on her tongue...she’d want to eat you out too, you know. She’d want  _ all  _ of you, you know she would. She’d want to make you cry and kiss your tears away, she’d want to hold you while you shake in her arms,” and they’re three fingers in edging on four and Catra is whining already, her nails digging into DT’s arm  _ hard  _ as she grinds into the feeling, “she’d tell you how gorgeous you look like this, she’d leave marks to cover my own so you know she’s yours, she’d want you to call out for her, she’d stretch you open so slow, she’d make you  _ beg  _ for more, she’d tell you she loves you—”

And that’s it. They’ve done this enough times that DT knows what Catra looks like, sounds like when she comes: she’s gripping their wrist so tightly that they fear there will be bruises, her voice is caught on a broken plea for Adora, her whole body locks up as she comes and comes and  _ comes.  _ DT laughs and presses an obscene imitation of a kiss to Catra’s neck, listening in fond amusement to her as she calls out for Adora over and over in a breathy, broken voice; holds her close as she trembles and bites back tiny sobs.

“You sound so gorgeous, kitten, you did so  _ well  _ for me,” DT murmurs eventually, “want me to get you a drink?”

Catra is quiet for a long few minutes, and eventually, she shakes her head, voice quiet when she says, “Please just stay.”

They talk about Adora until Catra falls asleep; she mentions that Adora had wanted to meet them, that she’s shy around the edges with people she doesn’t know. All the while, Catra’s voice has turned to syrup, and DT can  _ feel  _ how much love she has in her heart for Adora just by the way she talks about her.

Eventually, Catra hands over her phone for DT to get Adora’s number; DT resists the urge to text her from Catra’s phone and instead shoots a message her way while Catra curls up for a nap. By the time she falls asleep, Adora has already answered, and DT begins to gather their things so they can head out. Adora doesn’t live that far from Catra—DT is honestly surprised that they don’t live together—and they head over before texting Adora back.

**Adora:** hey!

**DT:** hey babe, catra told me you wanted to meet up, that’s so sweet of you

**Adora:** :) thanks !

**Adora:** when are you free?

**DT:** ;) come outside whenever ur ready babe

The car ride surprisingly...isn’t awkward. Adora’s wearing a dorky little outfit that is surprisingly cute on her, and she plays with the edges of her hair after slipping into the passengers’ seat. Already DT can tell that she’s nervous, so they smile at her wide and friendly before turning the radio’s volume down almost all the way to greet her properly. “I was just  _ too  _ excited to wait,” they say in lieu of hello. “You can play whatever you want, I don’t mind. The password is 1-0-2-8.”

“Catra’s birthday,” Adora says immediately, and DT nods and laughs.

“I changed it to fuck with her. You know how she gets when she’s flustered, it’s cute.” As they speak, DT glances at Adora sidelong, watching her face to see if it’ll change.

But it doesn’t. Adora just fiddles with their phone for a moment before playing one of the rock songs that Catra had added to their driving playlist without permission. Funny.

“Did you have a restaurant in mind?”

“Restaurant? I didn’t know we were—”

“Oh, I didn’t exactly  _ plan  _ on going, but it  _ is  _ lunch time, and I haven’t eaten all morning…”

Adora just sighs and shakes her head, a ghost of a smile playing across her lips. “You pick.”

And that is how they end up at the little hole in the wall pizza place that Catra took them to when they first met. If Adora knows the place too, she doesn’t comment on it, but she  _ does  _ order without looking at the menu, smiling at the waitress, who immediately blushes. Adora doesn’t seem to notice.  _ Very  _ funny.

Their drinks (coke for DT, and a strawberry milkshake for Adora) are delivered rather quickly, and the waitress is all smiles as Adora thanks her. DT waits for her to take her first sip before blurting out, “So. You and kitten...what’s the story there?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just want to know how  _ close  _ you two are. I don’t want to step on any toes, you know, and you’re all Catra talks about when we’re together.”

“Oh, there’s nothing between us, we’ve just grown up together. She’s my best friend, and—”

“Yes, yes, yes,  _ beyond  _ that. And don’t try to deny it, I  _ know  _ there’s something even if it’s not sex.”

Adora blanches, then chews on her straw as she thinks. “It’s  _ not  _ sex. Or love, I don’t think. I guess...I’m just fascinated with her. Catra’s...gorgeous, she’s just—really beautiful. But it’s more than just her body, it’s...the way that she moves, and her little habits, and the way she thinks, and just—everything about her. I want to  _ know _ her.”

And  _ ah,  _ there it is. Adora’s tone is warm when she speaks of Catra, and she’s smiling even if she doesn’t quite seem to realize it herself, and even just the  _ way  _ she speaks...it’s as if she’s remembering a thousand tiny things about Catra all at once, like she’s trying to savor every memory. DT knows that they’re grinning—they can’t  _ help  _ it, honestly—and they force themself to nod. It’s  _ funny, _ ” they say, “because Catra...she always reacts so  _ violently  _ to you. It’s positively  _ adorable _ , pardon the pun.”

“What do you mean?” Even as she speaks, Adora’s cheeks begin to redden and she glares down at her smoothie as if that will help. DT just laughs, twirling a lock of hair around their finger while they wait for Adoar to calm down. When she finally looks up at them, they nod in satisfaction. All the puzzle pieces are finally slotting into place now, and Adora is a gorgeously open book.

“Well, not to be so  _ risque,  _ but I told her to think of you while I was touching her, and I  _ swear  _ she’s never come so hard in her life. But it’s not only that; her laugh is different when it’s about you. Even her smile is more genuine when she talks about you—and you’re the only thing she ever talks about. She really does love you, you know that?”

And quite clearly, Adora... _ hadn’t.  _ She must know that Catra cares, because of course she does, but to think that Catra  _ loves  _ her?

DT watches closely as Adora stares down at the table, trying to guess what she’s thinking about: the bright smile lights up Catra’s whole face at the sight of her, or how she knows Adora just as well as Adora knows her, or how achingly tender Catra always treats her, and they can  _ watch  _ as the gears grind to a halt as Adora comes to a conclusion: that yeah. Catra loves her.

“Does she know?”

At that, DT grins _.  _ “Not yet, princess,” they promise, “but she will soon, trust me.”

“Why are...doesn’t that hurt you?”

“Oh no, I’ll still enjoy my time with our kitten until it ends, and watching you two lovebirds sort out your feelings is bound to be just as fun. That’s all  _ I’m  _ after, really. Oh look, our food’s here. Let’s dig in, yeah?”

(As they begin to eat, DT is already thinking of what to do next, and how to make Catra realize that she really is head over heels for her best friend.)

The answer strikes them almost instantly, and they lean forwards to catch Adora’s attention. “So...kitten tells me you two kissed earlier, hm?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If she were with DT, it would be so easy to bite her lower lip and tease, to make them want her, but with Adora...it’s different. This moment feels almost sacred somehow, and Catra’s hand trembles as she draws Adora closer, and when their lips finally touch, it is like coming home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday catra :) also fun fact this was originally gonna be adoras first kiss....wrote it in adoras pov but then scrapped it and changed it to this <3

They’re curled up together in Catra’s bed now, Adora’s hair splayed across the pillow that DT has playfully claimed as their own. For some odd reason, Catra can’t help the way she finds herself hoping that Adora’s scent will overtake theirs.

As if she can hear her thinking, Adora opens her eyes and smiles at the sight of Catra so close. “I was thinking about you,” she says, so open, so easy. It makes a surge of fondness shudder through Catra’s heart, and she sinks down into the blankets to press their foreheads together.

“What were you thinking about?”

Adora pouts to herself, her hand finding Catra’s to hold as she thinks of what to say. “DT is  _ confusing, _ ” she says eventually, “I only met them that one time, but...it doesn’t really feel like I  _ met  _ them. It feels kind of like they don’t like me. And I know that you care about them...maybe not in the same way you do me, but I want to  _ know  _ them too. For you.”

And  _ oh.  _ “They’re kind of annoying like that, I  _ promise  _ it’s not you,” Catra says in a rush, “you’re okay, they really do like you. A bit too much, honestly, they won’t stop asking about you.”

Adora’s eyes dip down just a bit and stay there, and Catra fights the urge to cover the fading hickey DT had left days ago. “We’re both important to you, so I wanted to at least  _ try. _ ”

Catra drops a kiss against her forehead. “You’re  _ okay,  _ baby.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

And—suddenly, Catra can’t help thinking of DT’s words the last time they were together. The way they told her to look at Adora the way Adora looks at her. So Catra does. She watches Adora closely as she smiles, her breath hitching as she watches Adora’s eyes crinkle at the corners. Her dimple winks out, and the sudden rush of endearment at the motion makes Catra dizzy. And then Adora reaches out to cup Catra’s cheek in her hand, her touch light until Catra reaches out to cover her hand with her own. “You’re so beautiful,” she says, and it is so reverent that Catra gasps. “I know you and DT said it was okay to do it whenever I wanted, but. Catra, can we...is it okay if we try again?”

It isn’t until Adora’s thumb taps the swell of her lower lip that Catra  _ realizes,  _ and her heart drops all the way to her stomach. “Try what?”

“You  _ know, _ ” Adora says through her pout, “don’t make me say it, I won’t be able to say it  _ and  _ do it…”

Catra hides her laugh against Adora’s shoulder and takes a few moments to steady herself, to let her racing heartbeat slow, and when she pulls back, she makes sure to rest her hand against Adora’s cheek too, to hold her and try to press all of her love into her hand so that Adora can feel it. “Okay baby. You sure?”

Adora nods, and Catra’s eyes follow her tongue as it darts out to wet her lips, glances back up to find Adora’s eyes on her lips too. If she were with DT, it would be so easy to bite her lower lip and tease, to make them want her, but with Adora...it’s  _ different.  _ This moment feels almost  _ sacred  _ somehow, and Catra’s hand trembles as she draws Adora closer, and when their lips finally touch, it is like coming home.

Adora’s hand is in her hair now, following the waterfall of curls down and down and down, and Catra shivers at the touch of heat as Adora traces the curve of her back. She finds herself  _ wanting,  _ wanting to press closer and give and  _ take,  _ but she lets Adora guide the pace, lets Adora kiss her like she is a treasure and touch her like she is made of glass, lets Adora love her in her own clumsy, uncertain, gorgeous way.

When they finally separate, Adora’s cheeks are red, and she is staring at Catra with wide eyes. Her quiet, “ _Wow_ ,” barely hits the air before Catra falls back into her again to kiss her just a little bit harder, and everything is Adora now: Catra can feel the way Adora shivers, can hear the quietest noise of surprise that is muffled by her lips and teeth and tongue, can practically _taste_ the fire that she can tell is beginning to burn through her too now.

But Adora forces herself back, breathing hard, and dips down to press the side of her face against Catra’s chest as she breathes in and out in time with the racing beat of her heart. Her hand is resting against her waist, and it makes Catra feel...so very loved and wanted and  _ safe,  _ the way Adora always makes her feel. Something in her heart—fondness, adoration, love?—blooms at the thought, at the idea that Adora feels this much for her. “Did you like it?”

“I didn’t think I would, but...yeah. I’m glad that I got to do this with you.”

And that—

Something  _ shifts,  _ tilts just a little bit too far, and Catra knows that Adora feels it too by the way her chest heaves as she breathes just a little bit faster now. She’s staring hard at Catra’s lips as she bites her own, and Catra wants so badly that she has to close her eyes to keep from asking more. “You did really well, princess.”

“I think I want to kiss you again,” Adora says. Her voice is deeper now, a bit rough around the edges, and Catra nods, startling as Adora presses a hand against her racing heart. When Catra opens her eyes, she finds her friend staring at her with an expression that is so full of love that this time, Catra really does surge forward to kiss her again. Adora’s sound of shock is muffled against Catra’s lips, but she melts so very easily and rolls Catra over to trap her beneath her body. They’ve been in this position perhaps a hundred times before, having play-wrestled and roughhoused for most of their lives, but this is the first time that Catra  _ needs,  _ that her hips shift up and her legs spread, that she feels on fire and so very safe beneath Adora’s familiar weight.

Adora pulls back again, cheeks red and eyes dark, and she carefully reaches out to touch the hem of Catra’s shirt. The soft, questioning touch makes her startle, but Catra nods and bites her lip hard to keep from outright whimpering as Adora slowly drags her shirt up until it is bunched up around her armpits. She touches slow, gentle, like she is exploring Catra’s body for the first time—she  _ is _ —and like she is trying to memorize the way she feels, the way her body reacts. She brushes her fingertips against each beauty mark and every freckle scattered across her skin, she follows the soft trail of dark hair from her belly button to where it is hidden by her leggings, she lets her fingers trace the goosebumps against her breasts, she gently rubs at her nipples until they harden beneath her touch. And all the while, she looks positively star-struck.

Catra forces herself to remain still, to not startle Adora away, to not give away how much she’s  _ enjoying  _ this, but just one look and Adora smiles, soft and sweet as ever. “If it’s okay…?” And she snaps the hem of her leggings against her skin, laughing as Catra gasps indignantly.

“You know what, after that? No  _ way, _ ” but she’s already shifting to tug them down, and Adora laughs again, lifting herself up to let Catra do all the work.

“Eager much—” and she pauses, brows wrinkling as she inhales deep. Catra would feel embarrassed if it weren’t for the  _ look  _ on Adora’s face, but she still hides her face with a hand when Adora shimmies down and rests her head against Catra’s upper thigh, inhaling deep again. “You smell  _ good. _ ”

“Oh my  _ god,  _ would you quit it?”

“What? It’s true!”

“Just—just shut up and  _ do  _ something.”

Adora strokes her thumb across Catra’s thigh and nods against the heat of her skin. “Yeah, I will.” She spreads Catra’s legs somehow further and though her thighs are burning in protest, the awe in Adora’s eyes is so much more than worth it, and she lays back down again to simply stare, long enough that Catra hides her face again.

“ _ Watch  _ me,” Adora says— _ demands— _ and Catra is helpless to her like alway, taking her hand away and forcing her gaze to remain on her friend as Adora finally,  _ finally  _ begins to lap at the wet between her legs.

She’s not usually this sensitive, not with DT or with herself, but Catra’s whole body shudders and already, with just one lick, she wants to clamp her legs shut. But Adora’s always been the stronger of the two of them, and she easily keeps Catra’s legs spread wide as she licks again, again.

But watching her so closely means that Catra can see the slight wrinkle in her brows, the way she always gets when she’s confused about something. So she sits up and gently pushes Adora’s head away, kissing her forehead when Adora grumbles. “You don’t have to do this, especially for me. It’s only if  _ you  _ want to.”

“I wanna make you feel good though,” Adora sulks, “I want to see you like this…”

Catra nods and opens her arms until Adora shifts into her embrace. It’s a bit odd to hug her like this, with her leggings pushed down to her ankles and her shirt rucked all the way up, and Adora’s thick sweater tickles her bare skin, but Catra keeps Adora close as she thinks. Because she wants to be like this too. She wants to have Adora _ see  _ her even she doesn’t like being the one to physically affect her, and—

“Do you think you’d be fine if it were DT instead? If you could watch us?”

Adora makes a quiet sound of contemplation; after a while she nods. “If I can see you, yeah. I think...I think so.”

“I’ll set something up then, okay? You don’t have to do anything, you can just watch me.”

Finally, Adora pulls back and gives Catra a soft smile. “That’s all I want.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She’s not sure how much Catra actually hears, and she knows that this must be just a little bit awkward for DT, but when she looks up at them, they’re just smiling like they’re a little bit in love with how wrapped up in each other Catra and Adora are.

It is raining, the day that DT finally texts Adora. It’s a simple message, just two words ( _ come over _ ), but they quickly follow up the message with a winky face that eases Adora’s nerves. She debates on stopping for takeout first, but decides against it and heads to Catra’s, her heart in her throat all the while.

The door is unlocked when she tries it, and the whole place smells of lavender and vanilla. They must’ve been cleaning all morning; the thought makes Adora smile and she takes a deep breath before hanging up her coat and slipping off her shoes. Her favorite mug is on the table, full of steaming chamomile, and there is a note in unfamiliar handwriting (DT’s, then) that says to come up when she’s ready. Scrawled beneath it in Catra’s familiar script is another little message that simply says that she loves Adora.

Adora doesn’t head upstairs until she’s finished her tea, and she feels...a bit more comfortable now. The scent of roses grows more powerful as she ascends, and she slowly pushes Catra’s door open to find Catra laying in bed, DT sitting beside her. They both look up as Adora shuts the door softly behind her, and Catra rolls out of bed, giving Adora a moment to appreciate what she is wearing before coming closer.

To see her friend like this—hair tied up in a slick ponytail, clad only in lacey blue bralette and matching panties—makes Adora’s heart begin to race, but it is just Catra, she reminds herself. It is just Catra that is reaching up to wind her arms around her neck. It is just Catra kissing her with lip gloss that tastes of strawberries, it is just Catra pressing against her so that Adora holds her close.

It is just Catra that steps back, love in her eyes and on her lips. “Hey Adora,” she whispers.

DT laughs before Adora can respond, and when she glances over at them, she finds them shaking their head. “Oh, kitten...you’re so cute like this.”

“I am  _ not  _ cute,” Catra grumbles. She laces her fingers with Adora’s and leads her to the bed, pushing her down before sitting in her lap, legs bracketing Adora’s (and Adora’s eyes are firmly fixed on the smooth expanse of skin and the freckles dotting Catra’s shoulders and breasts and stomach and—)

“You know, Catra picked this lovely little set...she wanted it to match your eyes.” DT is toying with the straps on Catra’s bralette, and Catra herself is decidedly  _ not  _ looking at Adora.

“It looks cute,” Adora murmurs.

“You hear that, kitten? Adora thinks you’re  _ cute. _ ” DT lets the straps fall down fully now. They make no other move, and it is a moment before Adora realizes that  _ she’s  _ supposed to finish the job. Her hands tremble as she reaches up to unhook the bra, and she’s  _ seen  _ Catra like this before, but—

She still gasps, still feels awed that  _ she  _ gets to see Catra like this. She wants so badly to touch, to make Catra sing for her, but DT tsks and gestures first at Catra and then at the chair set up facing the bed.

“You wanted to watch, didn’t you? Go sit while I take care of our kitten.”

There is a minute of shifting around between the three of them, and by the time Adora is sitting comfortable in her chair, DT is straddling Catra, the two of them waiting patiently. As soon as they see that Adora is ready, Catra reaches up to drag DT down, kissing them eagerly. And it is so very different from the way she’d kissed Adora: this is rough and biting and teeth and tongue, this is decidedly a challenge, one that DT meets eagerly. This is Catra’s nails against DT’s back and DT pressing Catra down into the sheets like they’re trying to bury her. Adora finds herself wanting to look away but she is still frozen in place, eyes tracking as many as Catra’s movements as possible. The selfish grind of her hips up, the way her thighs tense and relax, the way her fingers flex against DT’s back, how soft her lower lip looks trapped between DT’s teeth.

And then, as if some unspoken signal has been sounded, DT sits up and lets Catra undress fully. For her part, Catra turns towards Adora, her eyes alight with some kind of challenge as she tosses her lingerie Adora’s way. For all her bravado, she still squeaks and covers her face when Adora catches her underwear and sniffs.

“See, I told you that you smell good, kitten.”

Before Catra can huff indignantly, DT pushes her back down into the sheets, blanketing her body almost completely with theirs as they kiss her slow and deep. And it’s...it’s okay like this, but it’s not  _ Catra,  _ it’s not what Adora  _ wanted.  _ For a moment, she fears what will happen if she interrupts them, but then she remembers the tea and the note and the careful trust that they’ve given her, and somehow, she works up the nerve to speak.

"Um," Adora forces out. Immediately, Catra and DT look up and over at her, wearing similar worried expressions. Catra starts to sit up, but Adora shakes her head before either of them can really move. "I'm fine, I just—I want to see Catra better."

DT laughs and nods, sitting back on their heels so Catra can wiggle out from under them. For a moment, she pauses, frowning a little, trying to figure out how to best show herself off, but then DT slides over to the edge of the bed and spreads their legs wide, and Catra nods as she sits in their lap, legs hooked around theirs so that the length of her body is fully exposed for Adora's greedy eyes. "Is that good, darling?" DT asks then.

Adora startles, nods, bites her lip as she watches DT trail their fingers from Catra's cheek down and down and down, following all of the graceful lines of her body until they reach her hip, her stomach, her inner thigh. Catra's hips restlessly shift into the touch, and Adora's eyes wander back up the length of Catra's bared body, taking in the relaxed up and down of her stomach as she breathes, and the slight curve of her breasts, and the peaked tips of her nipples. The scatterings of freckles like stars against her skin, the way her hair spreads across the sheets like spilled ink, and—the soft intensity of her gaze as their eyes meet.

Adora has long since memorized even the smallest details of Catra’s face, but this—her body, bared and vulnerable—is so new, so monumental, that Adora’s heart aches to beat out of her chest. She presses a hand to her heart as if to keep it there, and Catra smiles so gently at her before her eyes flutter shut. Adora’s gaze flicks between the part of her lips around a soundless moan and the long fingers steadily sliding in and out of her; she wants to move closer, but she feels glued to her seat, and maybe DT can read minds, because they grin, sharklike, at Adora as they force Catra’s legs wider. “Keep your legs open, kitten,” they say. That playful lilt comes back into their voice again and Catra chokes on a curse, a shudder rippling down the length of her body as first one and then two fingers slowly fit inside of her again.

The way her hand drifts down is almost unconscious, and Adora doesn’t quite realize it herself until her fingers brush against her own wetness. Her gasp makes Catra look up (and DT has been watching, eyes alight) and when she realizes what Adora is doing, that she’s touching herself to the sight in front of her, she makes the most gorgeous noise that Adora’s ever heard before curling into herself, her hand falling down to mimic the slow circles Adora is rubbing against her clit. DT’s pace slows as well, and all Adora can focus on is  _ Catra _ : the scent of her arousal, the sight of her thighs twitching and the way DT’s fingers glisten as they slip in and out of her. The whimpers and moans she’s biting back, how her eyes are glued to Adora like it’s just them. She’s calling for Adora now, her voice breathy and half-gone, ahd she tips her head back and into DT’s neck. All Adora can tell now is that she’s trapped somewhere between embarrassment and arousal, and she’s never seen Catra come before, but she  _ wants  _ to. She wants to watch Catra let go.

“You look so pretty like this, kitty cat,” Adora tries out. Catra’s breath catches on a curse and DT nods helpfully in her direction, a proud little smile on their lips as they somehow fit in a third finger.

“She looks so gorgeous like this, doesn’t she? You could just eat her up if you wanted to.”

Adora nods in agreement, then remembers that Catra’s eyes are still closed. “I want to make her come for me,” she mumbles, and—it wasn’t quite for the two of them to hear, but Catra still curses full on, and her legs still twitch, and her voice swells into high pitched whimpers and whines as her hips fuck into her and DT’s hands. She’s coming, Adora realizes in awe, and the only name on her lips is  _ Adora, Adora, Adora,  _ like she’s a sinner, like this is the only prayer she knows.

That is what makes Adora abandon her chair to rush forward. She grabs Catra’s face in hers and kisses her hard, murmurs little praises as Catra clings to her. She’s not sure how much Catra actually hears, and she knows that this must be just a little bit awkward for DT, but when she looks up at them, they’re just smiling like they’re a little bit in love with how wrapped up in each other Catra and Adora are.

Even when Catra finally stops trembling, she still doesn’t pull away from Adora; she makes a sulky little noise when DT suggests taking her to shower and tightens her grip when Adora agrees. “Nap  _ first, _ ” she mutters, and Adora’s heart softens and melts as she nods.

DT just snorts and leans in to kiss the back of Catra’s shoulder before easing out from under their tangled pile of limbs. “You two will be fine alone, I presume...I’ve gotta run. Places to be and all that.”

Adora half-expects Catra to be upset, but she just snuggles into Adora further. “Don’t you dare leave me too,” she whispers, and it’s just for her. Adora squeezes her tight to say that she won’t, that she  _ never  _ will, and somehow, she doesn’t even notice DT slipping away until she hears the faint noise of a car engine starting up.

Catra, on the other hand, is already half-asleep, more than content to stay wrapped up in Adora’s arms, and though she grumbles when Adora shifts, she quiets when she realizes that she’s just getting them into a better position to lay down together beneath the blankets. The room still smells like sex, and Catra’s skin is damp from sweat, and there is the faintest heat of fire still burning beneath her skin since she didn’t come, but this...this is perfect.

“We should do this again,” Catra murmurs suddenly, “and...maybe just us too?”

Adora presses a kiss to Catra’s forehead, enamoured beyond belief. “We can do whatever you want, kitten.”

And then, quieter, “Adora, I think I could be in love with you.”

Adora’s heartbeat skips a beat and then two as she turns Catra’s words over and over in her mind. She knows that Catra won’t demand an answer from her, knows that she just needed to  _ say  _ it, but…“I don’t know how I love you, but I  _ do  _ love you. I always will.”

And that...that is enough.


End file.
